"Kids, the day of your Aunt Robin and Uncle Barney's wedding was the best day of my life. I didn't know it then, but that was the day that I met your mother. Running back and forth, trying to keep Robin from escaping and keeping Uncle Barney sane (well more sane than usual) I questioned my whole life; and my whole relationship with Robin, starting from the blue French horn. How did I get here? Standing at the altar, watching the love of my life walking down the aisle to marry my best friend. I secretly hoped somewhere deep down that this was all a nightmare, that I would wake up from it and be watching the beautiful bride walk down the aisle to me.
Well in part I was right. It wasn't a nightmare, it was a dream. And I did wake up to see the beautiful bride walk down the aisle to me, but it wasn't your Aunt Robin.
Leaving for Chicago the day after the wedding was ambitious I know, but something was just telling me my time in New York was done. Leaving the wedding and waiting for my delayed train for an hour gave me all the time in the world to think about what I was doing, and if I was doing the right thing. With Robin and Barney getting married, and Lilly and Marshall moving to Rome, there was nothing left for me in New York. I was sure I had made the right decision, until the girl in the yellow umbrella stood next to me.
What was the point in going to say hi I asked myself? I was moving across the country in less than 24 hours anyway. Something just told me I needed to go over there. So after a little courage and a lot of convincing, I stood up, walked over, and introduced myself.
Instantly we made a connection that I had never imagined possible with anyone else. After hours of talking, and laughter, I knew I had to stay in New York. There was something different about this girl.
Falling for the wrong girl was something I had done over and over again. This time wasn't the same, because she wasn't the wrong girl. She was your mother. 7 long years had passed, 7 of the best years of my life, and there was still one thing missing. I had the woman of my dreams, 2 gorgeous kids, a house, but yet no marriage. I was always the friend who wanted the big wedding, the happy ending that I deserved. So after 7 years, Tracy and I decided it needed to happen. With our best friends by our side, and our loving and supporting families, we started to plan a big wedding.
When your mother got sick we knew we didn't have the time. The wedding became a one day, court date at the town hall. It didn't matter if we didn't have the huge wedding in France that we dreamed of, as long as we were finally husband and wife. After the wedding, months were spent in the hospital. Chemo treatment after treatment I stood there by her side. The doctors gave her a one in ten chance to survive and I knew your mom could be that one. Your mother was one hell of a fighter and there was no chance that we were going down without a fight.
When your mother was given one month to live, something even more amazing happened. The gang all reunited, Marshall and Lilly, and Robin and Barney all showed up to give their support. No matter how sick your mother was, she could tell something was up. Marshall had been sipping Lilly's drinks all night, and well Robin? Robin wasn't drinking either. Throughout their friendship the girls had always done one thing together, and that was drink.
That was when we found out that your Aunt Robin, who was told she couldn't have kids, by some miracle, was pregnant. This was the best miracle for them, but your mother and I were still hoping for our own miracle.
A year had passed and your mother was still fighting long and hard. We didn't know what to expect, but we knew that your mother always overcame any obstacle. With the hopes of the cancer subsiding, staying in the hospital in New York was not what either of us wanted. We packed up our bags, and took our trip to France just like we had always dreamed of. After a month of traveling around, enjoying every little detail of life, your mother passed away gracefully in her sleep.
The next week, I hopped in my car to meet you two at the wake when I got an unexpected call. It was your Uncle Barney and he had just had his first daughter. Tracy.